Tangy, salty, herbed vegan feta cheese - a new addiction in the making. Though it is not as crumbly as real feta cheese, it has enough body to be cubed and tossed on a salad. Nom nom nom.

With the number of people choosing to eat a plant-based diet, the food industry has jumped on the vegan cheese bandwagon. Yes, those store-bought vegan cheeses are convenient, but, unfortunately, many are made with all kinds of preservatives, colorants, and other yucky chemicals. So unless you are making your own, I would stay far away from these tempting, chemical-laced delights.

Though some, like this vegan feta cheese, take a while to make, making your own vegan cheese is fun and so much healthier. Plus, they taste way better too.

DIY MARINATED VEGAN CASHEW FETA CHEESE 🧀

Ingredients

For the feta cheese

1 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked in water
2 cups water
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp lime or lemon juice
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp miso
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp nutritional yeast

For the marinade

¼ cup lemon or lime juice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup minced fresh herbs or 2 Tbsp dried ( I used mustard seeds, dried rosemary, thyme, and oregano)
Himalayan pink salt
Black pepper
2 cloves, minced
zest of 1 lime or ½ lemon
1 tsp vegan dijon mustard

FYI: this makes more marinade then you’ll need but it makes excellent salad dressing that can be stored in the fridge for weeks.

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak cashews in water for about 6 hours or overnight. Drain and add 2 cups of water. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan or cooking pot.

Heat the cashew milk under constant stirring until very hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to about 85C or 185F. This will take about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, which together with the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and salt. Add to the cashew milk. Stir well and let sit for 30 minutes.

Line a sieve with a cheesecloth or use a tofu maker if you have one. Pour curdled cashew mix over the cheesecloth. Push down with a heavy weight and allow to sit for 3 to 4 hours to remove most of the liquid. Occasionally give it a good push to help remove the liquid.

Place the drained cashew mix in a blender and add miso, garlic, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Add more lime/lemon juice for a tangy, sour flavor, more nutritional yeast for stronger cheese favor, or more miso or salt.

Preheat oven to 200F or about 100C.

Line a pan or ramekin with tin foil or parchment paper. Press down the feta and smooth out the surface.

Bake for about one hour or longer to dry out the feta and make it firm. The time will depend on your oven and how thick the block is. Regularly push it with your fingers to check the firmness.